Kiwi Woman Bags Unclimbed Pakistani Peak

Karim Sar (6,180 meters) as seen from the Baltar Glacier area to the north. Pat Deavoll Collection.

New Zealander Pat Deavoll bagged the first ascent of 6,180-meter Karim Sar in Pakistan’s Batura Muztagh. Deavoll soloed the final 1,000 meters of the climb while her sick climbing partner, Paul Hersey, stayed at their high camp.

After acclimatizing to about 4,600 meters in mid-June, the two climbed from an advanced base camp at 4,200 meters on the Shutinbar Glacier. Hersey accompanied Deavoll up the south face to a high camp at 5,100 meters, from which she started her summit bid around 5 a.m. A mixed gully led into a basin surrounded by ice cliffs which she surpassed by a ridge on the left side, then traversed back right to reach the top around noon. She returned to the high camp late in the afternoon via down climbing and rappelling, and the two descended to advanced base the following day.

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Deavoll has made expeditions to Pakistan in each of the past three years. In 2007 and 2008, she attempted the first ascent of 6,940-meter Beka Brakai Chhok; the peak was climbed later in 2008 by Hervé Barmasse and Simone Moro from Italy. As a consolation prize in 2007, Deavoll, Lydia Bradey, and two Italian climbers made the first ascent of a 5,800-meter peak they called Wahine.

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The upper south side of Karim Sar, with the route from high camp (5,100m) to the summit marked in blue. Pat Deavoll Collection / Intotherocks.net.